NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — At least one Republican has indicated the legislation that would halve the Metro Nashville Council should not be taken up at the state level.
At a Senate Committee meeting, Lebanon Republican Sen. Mark Pody broke from his party to vote “NO” on SB0087. The bill would cap the number of council members for a metropolitan government at 20, which would reduce the size of the Metro Nashville Council by at least half.
Critics of the measure say the bill, which is not brought by any Nashville lawmaker, is retaliatory in nature for the Metro Council’s decision not to support a bid for the 2024 Republican National Convention.
So far, the bill has sailed through committee on party-line votes, but Pody broke from his fellow Republicans on the issue Monday, Feb. 21 during the Senate State and Local Government Committee meeting.
He later told News 2 that decision should be local rather than state.
“The decision to change the makeup of Metro Council is best made at the local level,” he said in a statement.
The bill now awaits placement on the Senate Finance, Ways, and Means Committee calendar. The House version of the bill is scheduled for discussion in the House Finance, Ways, and Means Committee next Tuesday, Feb. 28.
Hundreds of bills will be up for debate during the 113th General Assembly. Tennessee lawmakers shared their thoughts on some of the major issues up for discussion at this year’s legislative session.
What lawmakers had to say about: Abortion Ban Clarification | Marijuana Reform | Transgender Therapy and LGBTQ+ Rights | Dept. of Children’s Services | Education | Crime/Public Safety | More
You can also find daily coverage from the session here.
